The present invention relates to an extruded flavored and texturized particle and to a process for making the particle.
Process steps of mixing, transporting and storing a particulated bulk solid material have been exceedingly difficult to accomplish without detrimentally changing the bulk solid material. The detrimental changes have occurred as a consequence of particle segregation, particle breakage, particle reaction and degradation.
The particle segregation problem is exacerbated for bulk solid particle mixtures that include several different materials, i.e. heterogeneous particle mixtures. This is because the different materials have particles of different densities as well as different particle size distributions and different shapes. Particle based condiments are one type of heterogeneous particle mixture.
An additional problem for heterogeneous particle mixtures is one of surface properties of particles that cause some particles to stick to each other and subsequently segregate on the basis of weight. Some particles may be exceedingly brittle and break apart when the heterogeneous mixture is handled. These types of brittle particles are responsible for an inordinate amount of fines in a final mixed product.
Undesirable consequences result from segregation, breakage, and reaction of heterogeneous particles used to flavor food. Food flavoring is inconsistent within the particle mixture. The texture of the food also undesirably changes as a result of fines generation.